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The site owner is indeed arrogant perceived by his reaction to Sir Anton's comment. His write ups promoting tourism are well good which shows that the site owner is educated but not enough to know about intellectual property rights. I feel sorry for this guy once his work is flooded with negative comments from the people he stole photos from. If he has the sole intention of promoting Philippine tourism, he might as well promote the art and the skill of the very same people who contributed to his mission.

We'll if he ain't giving due credit to the people he stole the photos from, let me at least give my kudos to you guys for the excellent shots! All of us who went through this thread knows were the credit is due.

May these incidents serve not just a lesson but may it also pave way to a stronger platform against the unauthorized use of intellectual property.

Wala ho na problema I can site his name as long as the evidence is there na authenticated. Send me the papers po. Saka kung ayaw nyo po na magamit ang kanyang mga images ng iba my suggestion is he puts watermark sa kanyang mga images. Saka pwede po na mapigilan ang photos to be not downloadable sa web. Google Images has Billion of pictures. To be professional is to place the correct watermarks.

just curious. in a case like this. what tools do you have? he claims to be out of reach since he is in maryland. is he really? are there other avenues for complaint in the US? may reporting to his site host? the thing is he's acting that way because he thinks he's out of reach.

Hopefully, Intellectual Property of the Philippines also goes after the users of pirated Adobe softwares. Ganun din, sad to say, we/some, local photographers here are so furious about our pictures being picked up (unauthorized) from our sites/web but deep inside our computers are intalled pirated editing softwares. Tip for tat, same thieves, di ba? Parehong magnanakaw.

Actually Intellectual Property Rights exists not just here but also in other countries. Its an International Organization.But it will take time for us to developed the awareness of the Intellectual Property of everyone.

One big challenge of the Intellectual Property of the Philippines is to inform and give awareness to the public what the Intellectual Property Rights is all about. There are lot of Discussion with regards this matter, infringement, abuse of rights, unfair competition, copyright, trademarks and Patents.....

The Intellectual Property Research and Training Institute (IPRTI), established by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines), presented its training programs for the Enhancement of IP Practice (Enhance IP) and Management of IP (Manage IP) to Commissioner Nenalyn P. Defensor of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Assistant Secretary Carol Yorobe of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).

“IPRTI will help our universities, research and development institutions (RDI), businesses and law enforcers protect and manage effectively our country’s valuable IP assets. The Institute, a critical component of the Philippine IP Policy Strategy, will be the center of IP education in the country and, hopefully, in the Asia Pacific region”

IPRTI has established strategic relationships with the Worldwide IP Academy of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and is a member of the international network of IP academies.

just to inform you that the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines is really working hard for this. Because we want our country and the government to center everything with IP. like Japan and Korea. and even the United States.

in that way our economy will be lifted up from the low rank in the international Arena.

So i suggest to the Admin and to the Moderators to have a separate thread where we can promote , talked and raised issues concerning Intellectual Property Rights. for us to be aware and spread the news to everyone to stop this kind of practice by others specially Pilipino...

Hopefully, Intellectual Property of the Philippines also goes after the users of pirated Adobe softwares. Ganun din, sad to say, we/some, local photographers here are so furious about our pictures being picked up (unauthorized) from our sites/web but deep inside our computers are intalled pirated editing softwares. Tip for tat, same thieves, di ba? Parehong magnanakaw.

actually yes abbeymanila the IP Philippines is also after the users of pirated thru Optical Media Board (OMB).

The Special 301 Report of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) named the Philippines as one of the countries that “have made progress toward implementing controls on optical media production.”

OMB conducted 2,526 operations, and confiscated more than 4.8 million units of optical discs with an estimated value of P1.12 billion. OMB is a member agency of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR). IP Philippines is the lead coordinating agency of the committee.

Effective enforcement is one of the seven strategic components of the NCIPR Action Plan 2007 to 2008. The entire plan was based on the memorandum issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to committee members in 2006

Hinay hinay nga lang pero there are lots of postive progress with it.

So one way to eliminate them is for them to realized, respect and have awareness of the IP Rights.

so lets begin it with ourselves.......

I have one question to ask to each and everyone....

ARE WE READY FOR A CHANGE? (within ourselves)

If all of us here in Pipho forumers, moderators or Org members which i think is about a thousand registrant in this forum. will not tolerate all of this PIRACY it will be a big impact and a big help to our ECONOMY...

Hopefully, Intellectual Property of the Philippines also goes after the users of pirated Adobe softwares. Ganun din, sad to say, we/some, local photographers here are so furious about our pictures being picked up (unauthorized) from our sites/web but deep inside our computers are intalled pirated editing softwares. Tip for tat, same thieves, di ba? Parehong magnanakaw.

Actually, it is part of their job to go after users of pirated softwares. I know that they do conduct "lightning inspections" of offices. I've read in the papers of some arrests. But if you are to ask me how frequent do they do the inspections and whether people get prosecuted because of it, that I don't know. Also, as an individual, it is up to us to ensure that we use authentic software, whether its adobe, microsoft or any other kind. Pipho and just about any other photographers' forum that I know of promotes the policy of using authentic software and that discussion on the usage of pirated software is really not allowed.

I understand that we have our own opinion but i hope you understand what is Intellectual Property first before you make baliwala of the Law.

Thats why there are lots of people who violated the rights of someone because of those kind of ignorance when it comes to IP rights or any other laws.

Im hopin that every PIPHO will have a very good understanding and respect to IP Rights of everyone.Thats one of the main reason why i join the PIPHO organization. not just to shoot and share the passion but also to have camaraderie and in time slowly will inject the Intellectual Property to every photographers life.

its all about respect na lang to the photographer and the talent he has to take the picture. or repect for his IP rights as you said. or just professionalism.--ngayon parang di nag konek yung sinabi ko. pero sorry. minadaling opinion -sorry ulit

I was too busy with a project to reply sooner, but this morning when I checked back the page of his site wherein my photo was used, I noticed he had already given credit with my name and a link to my blog site.

I then sent him the following email this morning:

quote

Jerry,

Firstly, congratulations to your site for having been selected as one of the finalists of this year's PBA Best Travel Blog!

Secondly, thank you for giving credit where credit is due.

As for the watermarks on my photos, as an artist I find watermarks get in the way of my photographs; thus, I don't put any on mine.

should be sufficient to convince any learned person that I am a photojournalist with a valid press credential and appropriate security clearance to be invited to document such events and to have full access to an environment filled with representatives of various foreign diplomatic corps. Moreover, my photographs had been published/featured in some local broadsheets and in foreign presses and TV news segments such as on ABS_CBN The Filipino Channel and CNN.

In the realm of photojournalism in which integrity is currency, I wish not to compromise my own hard-earned integrity by wrongfully claiming someone else's work or photograph as mine. Hence, this should be enough proof that this photo that I claim as mine, is indeed mine.

Furthermore, please allow me to reiterate that I support anyone who strive to promote the City of Manila as I tirelessly do, thus, although you have not requested for permission for the use of my photograph, out of respect for your efforts to promote the City of Manila in particular and the Philippines in general, I hereby give you permission to use this photograph in question for six months effective as of date of this email.

Again, thank you and good luck with your endeavors.

Eric Isaac

unquote

I'd like to mention that many organizations out there, including those from abroad, will go out of their way to trace the copyright owners of photographs -- whether with watermarks or not -- and their resourcefulness is quite admirable. I had received requests for permission from companies such as Fodor's Travel Guide and a couple of newspapers from Australia, including from many individuals and students. Point here is: those respectful of copyright ownership will find a way to search for the owner to request for proper permission and/or arrangement.

Hope they got the message. There has been complains about pictures of this and that photographer being lifted from the web but once that photographer comes home to upload and enhance/edit his/her pictures, the softwares he's using comes from illegal sources (pirated). So, same din, pareho silang magnanakaw.

Yes he seems to be nice now that my lawyer has sent him a nice letter explaining his copyright violation and that if he does not comply we will file a formal takedown notice for the unauthorized use of photo under the U.S. Copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 512 § (c) to his service provider:

He still really thinks he has no fault.. He steals the photo and yet he will ask you to prove it is yours? I really dont get that part...

Hope they got the message. There has been complains about pictures of this and that photographer being lifted from the web but once that photographer comes home to upload and enhance/edit his/her pictures, the softwares he's using comes from illegal sources (pirated). So, same din, pareho silang magnanakaw.

That is why it is good practice to capture the photo right the first time.. just like the old days with film ... everything in camera so no editing is needed... and download free watermarking tools available on the net

Yes he seems to be nice now that my lawyer has sent him a nice letter explaining his copyright violation and that if he does not comply we will file a formal takedown notice for the unauthorized use of photo under the U.S. Copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 512 § (c) to his service provider:

He still really thinks he has no fault.. He steals the photo and yet he will ask you to prove it is yours? I really dont get that part...

Nakakainis why this guy insists that putting watermarks on images is a prerequisite of being a pro photographer.

I would think that asking permission to use the photo is a prerequisite, not the watermark.

Yes he seems to be nice now that my lawyer has sent him a nice letter explaining his copyright violation and that if he does not comply we will file a formal takedown notice for the unauthorized use of photo under the U.S. Copyright law, 17 U.S.C. 512 § (c) to his service provider:

He still really thinks he has no fault.. He steals the photo and yet he will ask you to prove it is yours? I really dont get that part...

What blows my mind is why would anyone -- who'd go through all that time, effort and money to put up a site on travel/tourism promotion -- alienate or antagonize the local photography community? It just doesn't make sense.

What blows my mind is why would anyone -- who'd go through all that time, effort and money to put up a site on travel/tourism promotion -- alienate or antagonize the local photography community? It just doesn't make sense.

the ever so notorious human flaw. call it hypocrisy, fakeness or whatever else its been called. says one and does another. finds fault in others but justifies his own. its not filipino. its being human. we all have that tendencies admit it or not but some do strive to be better. in this case that guy is NOT striving to do better. Promoting the Phils " without anything in return " is pure bull... You always want something in return - it may not be money immediately but the recognition for at the very least - ones effort for doing what one is doing. An honorable Pinoy who promotes the Phil with sincerity ( tunay at buong puso ) would surely be at the same premise of promoting firstly - the good in the Pinoy. Ones talents, good traits, etc. By the sound of it - nanlait pa sya ng kapwa nya Pinoy. That exposes him to be a fake. If this is the type of guy who promotes his own country, I wouldn't want to go there based on that guy personality. Logical right? Why would I go to the country of an a-hole who tramples on the rights of his very own countrymen.

a true Pinoy with true intentions would have reacted kinda like this way to a fellow Pinoy, " ay pare, pasensya na my apologies i was just searching for photos of our country and found some including your photos which are really great so i used it, i missed to recognize you as the owner ( maybe because he was not aware or whatever ), can i still use it but i'll put your name as the photographer/ recognize you as fellow pinoy who took the photos? etc... "

Im sure you get my point. You can't believe in the country if you can't believe in the people ( i am ninoy ).

i honor anton for being a vigilant guy for doing what is right against ipr infringement. yan ang pinoy! proud sa trabaho nya! marangal!

i cannot say the same thing for the guy who " promotes the philippines "

now we know why di sila ( mga tourists ) pumupunta the way they should.